New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-19
ALASKA.
TEE COAST FROM slTKA TO KODIAK

som law Marston searle Rivington. Chicago A. Q.
Mctlurg a Co.
M. Seton Karr is the English traveller who, on
his way in the summer OF 1886 to the littlevsited
norton of the Alaska coast from which rises the
neak of Mount 1T Elias fell in with The Ne'c- York
Times expedition bound for the same region, and
io,ned his fortunes with theirs The chanoe en-
counter ON board the steamer from Victoria TO stka
was doubtless welcome TO both parties Mr.. Seton
Karr obi aimed companions for part of the long
and arduous journey which Subscribed in this book,
and The Times explorers Obtained the invalid
able assistance of practised Alpine climber
Neither Lieutenant Schwatka nor Professor LiODes,
who constituted The Times party. had the proper
mountaineering experience to undertake suon .
serious task the ascent of Mount oI Ei"S'
nor were the servants whom they engaged a' o'h'
any more competent than the leaders' Oon'090"
from S,tka 70 lev BAY by the United States steamer
Piota the adventurers were landed through the
snrf ON an inhospitable sandy shore, close to the
mouth of that muddy and shallow river with
black oily scum" to which Lieutenant schwatKa'
under the delusion that he was It's d'scoVerer'
hastily gave the name of Jones. Mr. Seton Karr
passes over this incident briefly, and says nothing
of Schwatkas clam TO the discovery The journey
from the coast to Mount st. Elias was made with
difficulty, partly over vast moraine overgr0wn
with trees and resting upon moving ice mag
nifcent glacier lay on either hand, and third
great one was crossed before the party reached
their fifth camp and began preparations for
the final ascent Here. at the critical point of the
enterprise begin to see traces of the inefficient
organization which so speedily led TO Its
defeat, for already the provisions are
said to have been low and the only
chance of accomplishing the object of the expedi-
ton was to finish it at once, in few days. regard
less of the weather. Unknown mountains 10000
feet high are not usually conquered in that hap
hazard manner The Indians, who had thus far
accompanied the party as carriers, now turned
back. and Professor Lbbey remained in camp at
the base with the scientific instruments. The as
cent was attempted by Schwatka, seton harr ana
a hired man named Woods.
Only Seton Kari knew anything of Alpine snow
work, or of the use of rope and ice-axe. They car
red food for no more than three days They had
marched but few hours'when Schwatka who had
been suffering from chils and fever, and who seems,
moreover, to have been too fat for mountaineering
broke down. At o'clock halt was called. AS
the sick man did not revive the others after awhile
went on without him. Presently Woods was sent
back TO act as nurse and what remained of The
Times exploration of Mount st. Elias was performed
alone by the English tourist who did not
belong to the expedition but joined 1t by
accident lie reached. however, an altitude OF
only 1900 feet, the height of the summit being
10000. Progress stopped at p. m, as the
ground began to fall away to the west; had the
weather been clear. we might have picked out
possible way of ascent even yet, and might even
have seen part of the northern face on which
white man eye at any rate has yet rested. Com
PEELED by all these circumstances over which we
had no control, we returned to camp, which was
at length reached at midnight" This is a remark
able statement of the abandonment of an enterprise
for the sake of which Messrs. Schwatka and
Libbey had crossed the American continent The
&" circumstances to which Mr.. Seton Karr re-
fers seem to have been the collapse of Lieutenant
Schwatka and the scantlness of the rations. But
he gives reason why the attempt should not have
been renewed with fresh supplies from the
camp on the beach or the cache at the foot of the
mountain. The route already essayed had not
proved impractlcable and even if that had failed
Mr.. Seton Karr reports the existence of a ridge on
the west side which offered reasonable promise of
a way to the summit. Nobody acquainted with the
records of mountaineering will think that our
adventures had thus far encountered any serious
perlls or unusual difficulties, and it is clear that
they were not turned back by insuperable physical
obstacles. We can hardly resist the conclusion
that their precptate retreat after this astonish-
ingly feeble half attack upon Mount st. Elias was
due TO a want of pluck. or else TO a sudden reaza-
ton of their untness for the task they had under
taken. Probably the next time the proprietor of
The Aac- York Times sends out exploring
expedition he will be more careful in the selection
of its members IAN expedition comprising Swiss
guides,' remarks Mr.. Seton Karr, " or consisting of
experienced climbers, would be more successful"
From Icy Bay the whole party returned,
in whale-boat left with them by the
D:,,.o 30 IL I,,I; x-,ll Of Vob faf Cd
miles to the eastward, and there occurred the
poisoning of large number of the natives. and the
killing of three, by arsenic from a can labelled
" baking powder IAN occurrence which, our
author narTates It, places the recklessness OF the
explorers in very unpleasant light. At Yakatat
MesSrs. Schwatka and Libbey waited for the Pinta
to take them back to Sitka, while Mr.. Seton Kari,
in whose tour the Mount st. Elias fasco was oDlv
an episode prepared for the trying part of his
trip. the long coast voyage to Kodiak. consider
able portion of this route had not been explored
since the days of Captain Cook 1t is habtually
visited however by white traders, and If we are not
mistaken it is partially described in Mr.. H. w.
Elhoits recent work on Alaska. Mr.. Seton Karr
sailed part of the distance in trading schooners,
and accomplished the rest In Indian canoes. He
spent much time in several of the native villages,
seeing quite as much as he wanted to see of the
Indian mode Of lire and bringing away very un-
favorable impression of the character and capacity
of his entertainers They are nearly all drunkards
and for the indulgence of their taste they do not
depend upon white traders. for they have learned
TO distil on their own account. Some extraordinary
stories are told Of the ABUNDANCE of salmon. In
Prince William Sound Mr.. Seton Karr found a
brooklet not more than yard wide and three
inches deep III which the salmon were literally
packed. although the water was so shallow that /.
did not cover their backs. They were SCARED and
scratched by the stones over which they had
dragged themselves. and some had been crowded
ashore and struggling to get back to the
stream. Writing in bright, SIMPLE. easy IMAM
bilious STYLE our author is clear his descriptions
and entertaining in his narrative. He appears to
be good natured under trying circum-